Accession consists of records related to the military career of Corporal Tamar Freeman, particularly her 6-month deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Included is postcard and email correspondence sent to her parents detailing issues of camp life, her religious observance, as well as her role as a medic; a DVD of the film "Sisters in Arms" written and directed by Tamar's sister, Beth Freeman; newspaper clippings and articles on Tamar and the film "Sisters in Arms"; photographs of Tamar receiving an award from the Canadian Jewish Congress, of her family greeting her at the airport upon return to Canada, a portrait of Tamar with another soldier and General Hillier, as well as images taken of fellow soldiers and the surroundings while in Afghanistan.

Administrative History

Corporal Tamar Freeman (1967-) is the daughter of Harvey and Gilda Freeman. She began her military career as an army reservist in 1990. As a reservist, she committed one day per week and one weekend per month to working in hospitals on board ships and in defence research facilities. In 2006, she joined the regular infantry as a medic in the Second Field Ambulance unit. She served in Kandahar for 6 months between 2006 and 2007 as a medic treating wounded soldiers, Afghan allies and civilians. She also served as part of the Provincial Reconstruction Team at a village medical clinic. She received the Alan Rose Award for International Human Dignity from the Canadian Jewish Congress in 2007. Corporal Freeman is currently stationed at Base Borden in Ontario.

Use Conditions

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.

Descriptive Notes

Use restrictions note: Personal emails are confidential and require the permission of Tamar Freeman before accessing.

Accession consists of records related to the operations of the CJC Ontario Region. Included are records related to the activities of the Community Relations Committee, reports, correspondence, political affairs records, communications, meeting minutes and agendas, photographs, and moving images of various events.

Accession consists of textual records documenting Cyrel Troster's Jewish communal involvement, particularly with cultural planning for UJA Federation. Included are event inviations, program books, brochures, a postcard, meeting minutes, reports, and flyers. Records relate to the following agencies and projects: UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Tomorrow Campaign, Anshei Minsk Synagogue, Holy Blossom Temple, Shareeh Haim Synagogue, the Jewish Museum in Toronto, reports on Jewish education in Toronto, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, the Holocaust Centre of Toronto, and the Koffler Centre. Of note is a copy of a study commissioned by UJA Federation for Frank Gehry, who was originally approached to design the Koffler Gallery.

Accession consists of records documenting the activities of "Council '63", a branch of the Toronto Section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC). Types of records include a photograph album, a scrapbook, correspondence, souvenirs, meeting minutes, membership lists, program materials and budgets.

Administrative History

The "Council '63" Branch of the Toronto Section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) was formed in 1963. Currently consisting of 20 members, the group was initially spearheaded by Barbara Norwich (d. 2011), and they met regularly in homes in the Cedarvale area. The group primarily did volunteer work, although it later evolved into a study group and book club.

Accession consists of records of Canadian Young Judaea. Records include correspondence, camp committee meeting minutes, camp committee and staff lists, the CYJ constitution, organizational newsletters, donation lists, flyers and camp reunion ephemera. Records also include clippings and reproductions from the Zionist Archives, and Camp Solelim photographs, as well as publications from other Jewish organizations.

Administrative History

Canadian Young Judaea was founded in 1909 as a Zionist movement for Canadian youth by members of the Herzl Zion Club. As a Zionist organization, Young Judaea continues to be committed to fostering a sense of Jewish identity and values in today's Jewish youth and to encouraging a lifelong commitment to Israel.
In order to foster a closer connection to Israel, Canadian Young Judaea employs educational Shlichim from Israel who are posted to various Jewish communities throughout Canada and to offices at the national level in Toronto Young Judaea also operates several Zionist summer camps located in each region of Canada, and a summer leadership institute called Camp Biluim in Quebec. In addition to the social programme of the organization, Young Judaea also offers educational seminars and conferences.

Use Conditions

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.

Accession consists of Executive Committee and Board of Director packages distributed to members prior to meetings. Included in the packages are previous meeting minutes, agendas, and ancillary reports. The Executive Committee packages are from 2006-2008 and 2010-2011 and the Board of Director packages are from 2006-2008.

Use Conditions

UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.

Accession consists of United Restitution Organization (URO), Toronto Office case files for the following funds: Hardship Fund; Hardship Fund, Pre-1965 Austrian; German Social Security (EB); German Social Security (DE); Article 2 Fund; Ghetto Lodz; and the immidiate post-Second World War Wiedergutmachung reparations. There is also a small amount of general operational files.

Custodial History

These records were left in the URO office following the departure of the URO staff person. They were boxed and moved by archives staff.

Administrative History

In Canada, the United Restitution Organization (URO) was founded in 1953 under the aegis of the Canadian Jewish Congress. The funds advanced by the Claims Conference were administered by the CJC which also gave support by providing the URO with office space and clerical staff. Offices were set up in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The Winnipeg and Vancouver offices closed in the 1970s and the Montreal office remained open until 2002, after which time the active cases were sent to the Toronto office. The Toronto office officially closed on April 1, 2007. There was one case worker, however, who contintued to tend to any active claims that were left. Her position was transfered to Jewish Family and Child in 2013.
The URO dealt with a variety of different types of claims. The first and largest were the BEG cases (Bundesentschaedigungsgesetz), which translates as Federal Indemnification Law for the Compensation of Victims of National Socialist Persecution. This program provided compensation for individuals persecuted for political, racial, religious, or ideological reasons who suffered long-term damage to their health, imprisonment, death of family members, loss of property, reduced income, or reduced professional advancement. The other two major programs or cases covered by the URO were the Hardship Fund and Article 2. The Hardship Fund was established during the 1960s and was open to Jews who emigrated from the former Soviet Union who were not eligible for compensation under the BEG program. The Article 2 program, in turn, arose during the 1990s, after the unification of the German government. It is still operating today and is open to Jewish victims of Nazi persecution who met a certain critiera, and those who are eligible, are provided with a pension paid out in installments every three months each year.

Use Conditions

Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.

Accession consists of material documenting the activities of Ben Zion Shapiro and his family. The bulk of the records document the Shapiro family's involvement in Young Judea. Young Judea material includes: yearbooks, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, event programmes, song books, newsletters, and two Camp Biluim flags made by Bunny Shapiro. One flag contains Camp Biluim's crest (1951) and the other one was created for Camp Biluim's colour war and contains the text "We will try and we will succeed Camp Biluim" (1954?). Also included is a VHS tape containing a copy of the Toronto Zionist Council's video about Camp Shalom (1991?). Of note are minute books maintained by Roy Shapiro for the Toronto Young Judea Administrative Board (1928-1934) and for the Leadership Club (1940-1948).

Accession also contains material relating to Roy and Ben Zion's involvement with the following organizations: the Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care), B'nai Israel Beth David Congregation, Beth Tzedec's Mispacha Program, Beth Tzedec's Israel Action Program, Congregation Beth Haminyan, and Holy Blossom Temple's Department for Jewish Living. These records include, minutes, correspondence, newsletters and publications, evaluation reports and other reports. Also included is a demographic report entitied, "Rapid Growth and Transformation: Demographic Challenges Facing the Jewish Community of Greater Toronto" (1995), material from a conference at the University of Toronto on the university's partnership with Israel, CHAT alumni directories, and a CHAT book entitled, "Voices: Jewish Teens of the 90's". Of note are buttons, photographs, reports and correspondence documenting Bunny and Ben Zion's trip to the Soviet Union on behalf of the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry.

Finally accession includes material documenting family activities of the Shapiro and Sherman family. Included is a transcript of Bessie Sherman telling her life story (1978), haggadot, PowerPoint presentations created by Ben Zion for his grandchildren and for a family reunion outlining the family history of his family and Bunny's family. There is also a video of Ben Zion presenting his PowerPoint at the Michalski / Cohen family reunion. Also included are family films and videos containing footage of Bunny and Ben Zion's wedding and honeymoon, Camp Biluim, Young Judea events, Bunny on Machon, family wedding anniversaries and birthday parties, trips to Israel, the United States, and Europe as well as footage of the Cousin's Club. Also included is a VHS tape containing a recorded segment from CityPulse News featuring the family's Pesach festivities in 1995.

Ben Zion Shapiro was born in Toronto in 1931 to Roy and Beck (nee Cohen) Shapiro. He has a younger brother, Morden (Mort) Shapiro (b. 1940). His father worked as an office manager at Rotstein Furniture and Maple Leaf Cleaners and his mother worked as a legal secretary until marriage. Roy was active in a number of organizations including: Young Judea, Sons of Jacob Society, Toronto Camera Club, a founding member of Beth David Synagogue, Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care) and President of the Association of Jewish Seniors. Beck was active in Young Judea and Pioneer Women (President of the Golda Meir Club).

Ben Zion received a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and attended the Jewish Agency Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad in Jerusalem, Israel (1951-1952). He has worked for a number of organizations throughout his career, including: Young Judea (he was Director of both Camp Shalom (1962-1969) and Camp Biluim (1954-1956)), B'nai Brith Youth Organization, University Settlement, St. Christopher's House and Director of the Novomeysky Centre in Jerusalem (1957-1961). He was also Professor and Associate Dean of Social Work at the University of Toronto and three times Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Ben married Bunny (Bernice) Shaprio in 1955. Bunny was born in 1934 in Noranda, Quebec to Irving and Bessie (nee Consky) Sherman. Bunny attended public school in Noranda, Noranda High School and Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto, University of Toronto (BA), the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (M.Ed. in Special Education), and the Jewish Agency Institute for Jewish Leaders from Abroad (1952-1953).

Bunny graduated from the first Camp Biluim Institute for leadership training in 1951 and worked with Ben Zion at Camp Shalom as Camp Mother in 1962 and from 1964-1969. She also worked at Camp Biluim from 1955-1956. In 1983, Bunny and Ben Zion went to the Soviet Union to visit Refuseniks on behalf of the Soviet Jewry Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region.

Bunny and Ben have two children: Ayala and Ilan. Since Ben Zion's retirement in 1996, he and Bunny have been living in Jerusalem for half of each year. In 2015, they moved full-time to Jerusalem.

Accession consists of material documenting the personal and professional activities of Janice Benatar. Personal records include a family tree, speeches Janice delivered at the Lipa Lippers Toastmaster's Group meetings, a sephardic cookbook, and immigration papers, and a Sharon School Reunion invitation for alumni living in Toronto. Also included are photographs of Janice with her family, performing in a ballet production with the Academy of Ballet and Jazz, with her newborn son, at her son's Bar Mitzvah at Chabad Flamingo, and with the keys to her first home in Thornhill. Also identified in photographs are: Elan Levitan, Viviane Benatar, Michael Benatar, Claudia Benatar, Rachel Pasternak, and Samuel Pasternak.

Also included are speeches, invitations, event programs and video recordings of Book Of Life events as well as a bookmark that was designed by artist Enya Keshet for Book of Life honourees. Finally, accession also includes Professional Advisory Committee meeting minutes (2009-2015) and breakfast seminar presentations (2014-2015).

Use Conditions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Accession consists of records related to the operation of Reena including executive materials, committee records, general correspondence, policy documents, promotional materials and photographs.

Administrative History

Reena was established in 1973 by a small group of parents of children with developmental disabilities as a practical alternative to institutions.
In 1977 Reena began to receive funding from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Reena is also funded by the community through the Reena Foundation and by the United Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto. Reena today provides programs and support to close to 1,000 persons in a variety of residential locations.
The Toby and Henry Battle Developmental Centre was opened in 1999 for day and evening programs for children and adults with a developmental disability. Located in Vaughan, this unique building features a wellness and health centre, sports centre, creative arts workshop, computer lab, greenhouse and library, all with activities tailored to the individual skills and interests of its members. The Battle Centre is also the site of Reena’s administrative offices.
Recognising the increasing needs of individuals with developmental disabilities as they age, Reena opened its first home dedicated to seniors in 2000, followed by another such home in 2007.
An innovative new housing alternative, the Reena Community Residence, was officially opened in September 2012 in the heart of the Lebovic Jewish Community Campus in Vaughan. It provides apartments for 84 adults with developmental, cognitive, physical or mental health needs. Designed as an Intentional Community for individuals with special needs, the residents will be truly integrated into the community as they access all the facilities and programs the campus has to offer.

(from http://www/about/history-Reena/ accessed 27 July 2017)

Use Conditions

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.

Accession consists of material documenting members of Harvey Freeman's family, several of whom served in the armed forces. Included are: family photographs, a Krugel family tree, a copy of Itzik Kriegel (Harvey's grandfather)'s army discharge, an attestation paper for Louis Krugel (Harvey's uncle), a signed program for a "stag whoopee dinner and night of blissful freedom" in honour of Lou Krugel's approaching marriage, and printed images of Harvey's daughter Tamar Freeman in Afghanistan. One of the photographs depicts Louis Krugel with professional wrestler and actor Tor Johnson, aka the Swedish Angel.

Accession consists of material documenting Kulanu Toronto, the city's main Jewish LGBTQ+ social, educational, and cultural group. Included are: 209 photographs of Kulanu Toronto at the 2013 Pride parade; 194 photographs of the World Congress of GLBT Jews held in Winnipeg in 2013; newspaper clippings documenting various activities and initiatives of Kulanu Toronto including its opposition to the presence of the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAII) group at Pride; material pertaining to the Eighteen: 22 LGBTQ Jewish gathering in Salzburg, Austria; and copies of two Martin Gladstone documentaries, Reclaiming Our Pride and Why is it Hate?

Administrative History

Kulanu Toronto was founded in 2000. It incorporated as a not-for-profit in 2014. Following its dissolution in 2018, some of its functions were taken over by the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre LGBTQ Initiative.

Use Conditions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the donor prior to accessing some of the records.

Records remained in the custody of Shoel Silver until 27 July 2018 when the OJA acquired the records from the former.

Administrative History

Shoel Silver is a Toronto businessman. He formerly co-chaired the Unity of the Jewish People Committee with Natan Sharansky. Prior to that, he was the scholar in residence for the first Federation Shabbaton.

Included are: 395 photographs taken at First Narayever Congregation in Toronto, Ontario; 146 photographs taken at Temple Beth Shalom in Miami Beach, Florida; 142 photographs taken at City Shul in Toronto, Ontario; 135 photographs taken at Sukkat Schalom in Berlin, Germany; 118 photographs taken at Temple Sinai in Toronto, Ontario; 114 photographs taken at Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, Massachusetts; 109 photographs taken at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Ontario; 97 photographs taken at Har Tikvah in Brampton, Ontario; 96 photographs taken at SAJ in New York City; 69 photographs of the Beth Chaverim Synagogue in Toronto, Ontario; 63 photographs taken at the Harlow Jewish Community in Harlow, England; 60 photographs taken at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal, Quebec; 56 photographs taken at Temple B'nai Brith in Somerville, Massachusetts; 53 photographs taken at Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest, Florida; 51 photographs taken at Leo Baeck College in London, England; 44 photographs taken of the West End Synagogue in New York, New York; 43 photographs taken at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts; 36 photographs taken at Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida; 27 photographs taken at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts; and 6 photographs taken at Shir Libeynu in Toronto, Ontario.

Victor Helfand was born in Toronto at the old Mount Sinai Hospital on Yorkville Avenue. His early life was spent in the same city. Around the time he was twenty, he travelled through Europe and North Africa. He also spent six months at Ma’abarot, a kibbutz in central Israel. After returning to Canada, Helfand spent part of the 1970s in Powassan, near North Bay. Thereafter, he returned to Toronto, where he has lived since.

Helfand earned an honours degree in political science and economics from University of Toronto. In his late thirties/early forties, he returned to the university to earn a master’s degree in urban planning. Professionally, Helfand has made his living as an entrepreneur, initially in urban planning and more recently in e-commerce.

Helfand started photographing in 1968. His exhibitions include: Perspective (1971), Salon (2012 and 2014), Marriage Bureau (2013), 3 Generations (2015), Powassan in the 70's: Back to the Land (2015 and 2017), Group Show (2015), and Women of the Bimah (2017). His work has been exhibited in North Bay at the W.K.P. Gallery and the White Water Gallery (WWG) and in Toronto at the Deer Park Gallery, Gallery 44, Gallery Hui, and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre. It has been featured as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

Helfand married and has three children.

Use Conditions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes

Location of originals: External hard drive containing born-digital records is with the donor.

Former executive director Justine Apple kept the records on a USB flash drive. In September 2018, she transferred copies of the records to a computer belonging to the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre.

Administrative History

Kulanu Toronto was founded in 2000. It incorporated as a not-for-profit in 2014. Following its dissolution in 2018, some of its functions were taken over by the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre LGBTQ Initiative.

Use Conditions

Conditional Access. Researchers must receive permission from the donor prior to accessing the records. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

L.M.O.L. records include certificates (1975-1977); issues of the Observer (1978-1979), Planet Observer (2016-2018), and the Bulletin (2017-2018); a VHS tape made on the occassion of the lodge's fiftieth anniversary (1998); a DVD made on the occassion of the lodge's sixtieth anniversary (2008); and a scrapbook commemorating the lodge's community volunteer services (1977-1978).

JNF records include annual reports for the years 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008; copies of the Roots newsletter for the years 2000-2008; and Negev Dinner tribute books for the years 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015.

Other records include a Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue Yakir Hakahal gala tribute dinner book honouring Sir Nicholas Winton (2010), a Temple Har Zion gala dinner book honouring Rabbi Michael S. Stroh (2005), a Wiesenthal Award book honouring Judy Feld Carr (2002), and a DVD-R with 34 photographs (jpg) taken at an Unto Every Person There is a Name event on 5 May 2016 that was attended by Anti Reti, Councillor James Pasternak, and Daniel G. Lovell.

Use Conditions

Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.